What title does the leader of Canada hold?

The leader of Canada's federal government holds the title Prime Minister. The prime minister leads the government, normally heads the political party or coalition able to command the confidence of the elected House of Commons, and advises the Crown on the exercise of executive powers.

Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. That means the prime minister is not the country's head of state: that role belongs to the Canadian monarch, represented federally by the governor general. The prime minister is instead the head of government and the central political decision-maker in the federal system.

Canada's provinces and territories use the title premier for their heads of government, which can cause confusion. The federal office began with Confederation in 1867, and its first holder was Sir John A. Macdonald. The title is also sometimes written “Prime Minister of Canada,” while “PM” is the common abbreviation.